Mahanadi Issue Back To Politics; BJD To Launch Signature Campaign

Bhubaneswar: After a brief lull, Mahanadi water sharing issue is back to center stage with ruling BJD deciding to intensify its movement against the construction of projects by Chhattisgarh government.

BJD said it would launch a signature campaign at Panchayat level to collect signatures from 86 lakh affected families to protest the projects.

The signatures would be sent to the President of India.

The party also decided to form a human chain from Hirakud to Paradip in 15 districts as a mark of protest, said BJD MP Prasanna Acharya.

The date for the human chain would be decided at a meeting to be held on November 7.

The party would also carry out various awareness programs to save the Mahanadi, said party leader Surya Narayan Patro.

The BJD said the Centre has not responded to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s letter urging for a halt to the projects on the upper catchment of the Mahanadi by the Chhattisgarh government.

The party alleged that the Centre is cooperating with Chhattisgarh in expediting the projects.